Label-making system

ABSTRACT

A deck of tabulating cards having names and addresses printed thereon in legible form is used as a master mailing list. The cards are passed through a photocopying machine which, in addition to the usual document copying facilities, has equipment for tabulating card handling. The cards are copied automatically in rapid sequence and in overlapping relationship, so that a series of names and addresses is printed on a continuous strip of copy paper with a minimum of blank space between. Various aspects of the operation of a conventional photocopying machine are altered to achieve a continuous card copying cycle. A continuous output strip emerges from the photocopying machine, and is subsequently processed by conventional labeling machinery which severs the strip into individual address labels and glues these to respective pieces of mail.

United States Patent [72] Inventors DavidWJlubbard Stamford; Andrew W.Rastorguyeff, Norwalk, both of, Conn. (21] AppLNo. 791,941 [22] FiledJan.l7,l969 [45] Patented Aug.3,l97l [73] Assignee Pftney-Bowes, Inc.

Stamford, Conn.

s41 LABEL-MAKING SYSTEM 29 Claims, 16 Drawing Figs.

3,267,797 8/1966 Fowlieetal. 355/65 Primary Examiner-Samuel S. MatthewsAssistant ExaminerRichard A. Wintercorn Attorneys-William D. Soltow,.Ir., Albert W. Scribner and Martin D. Wittenstein ABSTRACT: A deck oftabulating cards having names and addresses printed thereon in legibleform is used as a master mailing list. The cards are passed through aphotocopying machine which, in addition to the usual document copyingfacilities, has equipment for tabulating card handling. The cards arecopied automatically in rapid sequence and in overlapping relationship,so that a series of names and addresses is printed on a continuous stripof copy paper with a minimum of blank space between. Various aspects ofthe operation of a conventional photocopying machine are altered toachieve a continuous card copying cycle. A continuous output stripemerges from the photocopying machine, and is subsequently processed byconventional labeling machinery which severs the strip into individualaddress labels and glues these to respective pieces of mail.

PATENTED AUG 3 |97| 31,597,076

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INVENTORS DAVID W. HUBBARD ANDREW W. RASTORGUYEFF ATTORNEY PATENTED Am;3197! INVENTURS 8 w M 2 u 1H. 03 6 m 2 5 2 2 e 2 2/ ww w in 5 8 D u 7 wIH 7 1 m 0 I 3 7 9 7 7 Q2 7 R m M H 4 6 7 W m w w II -l [m I 0 1 I w k df y F m 4 my M M WM 5 WWA7/ W 2 2 fi I w "v m 4 m a DAVID w. HUBBARDANDREW w. RASTORGUYEFF ATTORNEY PATENTEUAUG sum 3,597,076

SHEET 5 BF 7 IIIIIII/ I! [IN]! 1&5 INVENTORS DAVID w. HUBBARD 490 ANDREWw. RASTORGUYEFF BYWWM ATTORNEY PATENTED Am; 319?:

SHEET 6 OF 7 x 5 V 8 u 4 w 2: lp P K- w 2 3 "I w .n w 3 3 W W w I 5 5 wB 0 5 5 a I.

INVENTORS DAVID W. HUBBARD ANDREW W. RASTORGUYEFF ATTOBN E Y PATENTEUAUB319m 3,597,076

sum 7 OF 7 (UIMP W- 28 s 8 AND CcOPY PAPER) CHARGER 8s) coPY PAPER) coPYPAPER SW-Z. FEED ROLLERS 4 sum- 76 AND 78 R) 90" SOL-J! cm) 362 FEED APECLUTCH m) 5 INVENTMS DAVID W. HUBBARD ANDREW W. RASTORGUYEFF ATTORNEYLABEL-MAKING SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relatesgenerally to the field of high-speed automatic labelling, andparticularly concerns the photocopying of tabulating cards to producemailing lists and labels.

THE PRIOR ART At the present time, the best known technique for rapidand automatic mail addressing is subject to a number ofseveredisadvantages. This technique involves the use ofa printing press tomake a series of labels, each one including the name and address of oneof the intended recipients. The printing presses which are used for thispurpose require a set of individual address plates on which the printedmaterial is represented by raised characters. Such plates have to bemade of relatively heavy guage metallic material in order to withstandthe printing impressions to which they are subjected. Consequently, afull set of printing plates, each one representing one address in a highvolume mailing, is both heavy and bulky, the raised characterscontributing substantially to the bulk.

Another disadvantage of these plates is that they are fairly expensiveto produce. Therefore economic considerations normally dictate that theybe stored after use. But storage can be a considerable problem, in viewof the bulk and weight involved. In addition, the plates are somewhatvulnerable to bending and to damage which may be inflicted on the raisedcharacters. Therefore transportation to a storage location must be donewith a fair amount of care, this adding to the burden.

Still another disadvantage of such plates is that the printing ink whichadheres to them must be washed offaftcr each use.

Finally, the mechanism by which such plates are passed through theprinting press is complex, yet must withstand the loads imposed thereonby the weight of the plates. Therefore the mechanism is subject tobreakdown, and also is too noisy for ordinary office use.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention avoids allthese problems, but without sacrificing the advantages of rapid andautomatic operation. The solution is to take the name and addressinformation from a deck of flat, light weight record cards ofa flexiblematerial; for example conventional tabulating cards. The advantages ofthis approach are numerous. The tabulating cards have utility for otherthan printing purposes. In most cases, a deck of tabulating cards withlegible name and address information printed thereon, and with the sameand other information also recorded thereon in punch code, is alreadymaintained for various business purposes. This deck now takes on theadditional function of acting occasionally as a set of printing mastersfor mailing labels. Thus, no additional storage space is required.Secondly, tabulating cards are flat instead of three-dimensional, andthey are light and flexible. Therefore they take up less room thanprinting plates, they are easier to handle, they are less vulnerable,they are inexpensively replaced when damaged or outdated, and theapparatus required for handling such cards is not as complex and notsubject to the same operating loads as a printing press. Furthermore, adeck of tabulating cards is normally maintained in alphabetical or someother logical order, and the order can be changed or cards selected outas required by means of conventional tabulating equipment. Suchflexibility and ease ofhandling are not available with printing plates.

Accordingly, the objective of this invention may be broadly stated asthe provision of new equipment to be used for high volume mailaddressing and the like. In more specific terms, the objects of theinvention are to avoid printing plates and presses, with all the weight,bulk vulnerability, expense, mess, noise. breakdowns, inconvenience andproblems of transportation and storage which they entail; and to useinstead tabulating cards which have utility apart from mail labeling,which are light, flat, flexible, inexpensive to prepare and replace,clean, quiet, convenient to use and revise, and which pose no particulartransportation or storage problems.

It is also an object to copy these tabulating cards by means of aphotocopying machine which is quiet enough for an ordinary office,trouble-free, useable by general-purpose clerical personnel, and has allthe conventional document copying capabilities of such machines. Anotherobject is to modify an existing photocopying machine so as to provideadditional card copying and label making capabilites with minimalengineering changes and at a minimal additional cost. Another object isto provide two entirely different operating modes; i.e. single documentsand continuous card copying.

One form of the invention employs a plurality of record cards formed offlexible sheet material, each card having an address recorded thereon.The address may be recorded either in legible form suitable forphotocopying, or in magnetic ink, punch code, or some other formreadable by data processing equipment. Then a photocopying machine, orsuitable data processing equipment which reads magnetic ink, punch codeor the like and which has a printout capability, reads the record cardssequentially, scans each address in turn, and prints the addressessequentially. Another part of the mechanism feeds sheet material forsuccessive labels sequentially through the printing means; the printedaddresses being thereafter applied to respective pieces of mail.

In the preferred form of the invention, the copying machine employed isa dual purpose device which can operate either in the conventionaldocument copying mode or for rapid sequential copying ofa deck of datacards. In the document mode the output of such a machine consists ofdiscrete photocopies, and in the card mode it is preferably a continuousstrip of copy paper with successive mailing label informationdistributed along the length thereof. This continuous strip is reeled upas it emerges from the photocopying machine, and later put into aconventional labeling machine of the type originally designed to acceptthe same type of continuous strip output from address label printingpresses. The labeling machinery operates by severing the strip intodiscrete labels and gluing these sequentially to respective pieces ofmail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a sectional view, takenalong a vertical plane, of a photocopying machine in accordance with thepresent invention, which is designed for conventional single documentcopying as well as for sequential copying of tabulating cards.

FIG. 2 illustrates a typical segment of a continuous strip output fromthe photocopying machine of FIG. I when operated in the card copyingmode. The strip has a series of mailing address labels distributed alongthe length thereof.

FIG. 3 represents a typical piece of mail to which one of the addresslabels has been applied, after being severed from the continuous stripof FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away for clarity ofillustration, ofthe tabulating card supply hopper and card feedmechanism of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view, taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4, showingadditional details of the tabulating card supply hopper and feedmechanism.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along the lines 643 ofFIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows, and with parts brokenaway for clarity of illustration, of the solenoidoperated clutch fordriving and tabulating card feed mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along the lines 7-7 ofFIG. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing additionaldetails of the tabulating card feed and clutch mechanism of FIGS. 4through 6.

FIG. I a a front elevational view, with parts broken away for clarity ofillustration, of the tabulating card output bin of the machine ofFlG. I.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away for clarity ofillustration, of the same bin.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a portion of the machine of FIG. 1,showing the output mechanism to which the continu ous address labeloutput strip and the discrete document co pies are both delivered.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away for clarityofillustration, ofthe output mechanism of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a vertical section ofa portion of the photocopying machine ofFIG. 1, showing details of the feed control mechanism and the copyingstation thereof, through which either single documents or a stream oftabulatlng cards may be passed.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view, taken along the lines 13-13 of FIG. 12,looking in the direction of the arrows, ofa portion of the feed controlmechanism of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view, taken along the lines 14-14 of FIG. 5,looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the card pickermechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 15 is an elevational view of a portion of the same card pickermechanism, taken along the plan 15 of FIG. 14, looking in the directionofthe arrow.

FIG. 16 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram revealing the controllogic of the machine of FIG. I, which enables it to function either as aconventional single document copier or as a sequential tabulating cardcopier in accordance with this invention.

The same reference characters refer to the same elements throughout theseveral views ofthe drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows theoverall construction of a photocopying machine 20 which is designed forthe performance of two alternative functions, as the need may appear. Onthe one hand it is capable of rapid automatic sequential copying oftabulating cards in order to prepare a continuous strip of mailingaddress labels, and on the other hand it is operable for conventionalsingle document copying.

In general terms, the document capability resides in conventionalcopying mechanism including a copying station 22 at which a document ispassed over a transparent plate 24 to be scanned by the beam 26 of acopying lamp 28. The light is reflected back from the document as a beam30 toward a mirror 32 which redirects the light as a beam 34. The latteris focused by a lens 36 upon a strip of copying paper 40 within aprinting station 38.

When the machine is operated in the document mode, one document at atime is manually inserted into a feed channel 46 formed between upperand lower plates 48 and 50 and deflector plate 254. Manual insertioncauses the document to be fed around the bend ofthe channel 46 byrollers 51 and 53, (FIG. 12) until it is gripped between a pair of motordriven feed rollers 52 and 54, which then convey the document throughthe copying station 22. Subsequently another pair of motor driven feedrollers 56 and 58 convey the document out ofthe copying station.

A special receiving tray 60 (shown detached from the machine 20) isassembled therewith when the machine is to be used in the document mode.Such assembly is accomplished by placing the document tray 60 over asloping surface 62 at the front of the machine. In this position a rearflange 64 hooks over the rear edge 66 of the sloped member 62 to securethe tray in place. The flange 64 also abuts eccentrically against a pairof gating members 70, rotating the gates downwardly about their shaft 72to the dotted line position of FIG. 1. When so positioned, the gatingmembers divert the original document upwardly as it emerges from betweenthe feed rollers 56 and 58, so that it is deposited in the document tray60. A restraining lip 74 at the front of the document tray 60 retainsthe original document therein.

When operating in the document mode, the machine 20 automatically cutsthe copies to the length of the original documents. Copy paper 40 istaken, by means of a pair of feed rollers 76 and 78, from a supplyroller 42 wound upon a spool 44, which is rotatably mounted upon a shaft47. The rollers 76 and 78 are motor driven by means of a conventionalclutch (not shown) which is engaged during the time it takes for theoriginal document to pass a length sensing switch SW-4 adjacent thechannel 46. From rollers 76 and 78, the copy paper passes through acutoff knife mechanism 80 to another pair of motor driven feed rollers82 and 84. After a length of copy paper equal to the length of theoriginal document has been fed past the cutoff knife mechanism 80,another switch SW-3 located adjacent the channel 46 senses the trailingedge of the document and energizes a circuit to actuate the knifemechanism 80, thus cutting the copy paper to the proper length.

The photocopier 20 could be any known type, but is preferably anelectrostatic machine of the kind which has become common in recentyears. As such, it includes an electrostatic charging mechanism 86through which the copy paper is fed by the rollers 82 and 84. Uponemerging from the charging mechanism and passing through the imagestation 38, the copy paper is gripped by another pair of motor drivenfeed rollers 92 and 94, and fed into a conventional toner solutioncontained within a reservoir 96. Upon emerging from the toner reservoirit is fed by another pair of motor driven rollers 98 and 100 to a dryingstationv 102. The copy paper is conveyed through the drying station andtoward an exit 104 by means of belts 106 and 108 and the rotatingrollers 110, 112 and 114. The finished copy may then be manually removedfrom exit 104.

The mechanism thus generally described is conventionally housed in acabinet comprising a rear panel 21, top panel 23, floor panel 25, andfront panel 436. The cabinet stands above table-top level on feet 27,and has within it various internal partitions 29.

In accordance with this invention, when the machine 20 is operated inthe card copying mode, the document tray 60 is detached, allowing thegating members 70 to return under spring bias to their raised positions,illustrated by the solid lines of FIG. 1. The material to be copied is aconventional deck of tabulating cards 116 fed from a hopper 120 mountedatop the machine 20. Motor driven rollers 122 and 124 cooperate to feedsuccessive cards into a throat formed by the plate 50 and the deflectorplate 254 immediately in front of the rollers 52 and 54. The latterrollers then pass each card in succession through the copying station22, from which they are withdrawn by the rollers 56 and 58. Thus, as anexample of the way in which the card copying operation takes advantageof the existing photocopying mechanism, the cards are ultimatelyconveyed through the copying station by the same feed mechanism as arethe documents when the machine is in the other operating mode.

The upper position of the gate member 70 causes each of the cardsemerging from the copying station to be diverted downwardly through apassageway 379 into an output bin 126, where they are collected upon avertically movable card catcher tray 128. During operation the tray 128sinks lower to accommodate the increasing accumulation of tabulatingcards thereon.

In the card copying mode the cutoff knife mechanism 80 is disabled, anda narrow strip of copy paper 41 (narrower than the document size copypaper 40) is unreeled in a continuous strip from a supply roll 43 whichis wound on a spool 45 rotatably supported on the shaft 47. The narrowstrip 41 traverses the same path described above for the wider strip 40,up to the point where they both emerge from the cabinet at exit 104.Beyond that point, the narrow output strip 41 (which has not beensevered into discrete copies as is the wide strip 40) passes around amotor driven feed roller 130 and is wound upon a takeup reel 132, toform an output roll 134. The takeup reel 132 is driven by a shaft 136which in turn is rotated by a pair oflarge circular rims 138 infrictional driving engagement with the motor driven roller 130.

A representative segment of the continuous output strip 41, as it lookswhen torn from the roll 134, is shown in FIG. 2. There it is seen thatthe card copying output strip 41 has successive name and address blocks138 distributed along the length thereof, each one defining a label 142.Such an output roll 134 may then be used as the input to a conventionalmail labeling machine of the kind now commercially available. (Suchmachines were originally designed to take a similar output strip from aconventional address label printing press.) The labeling machinerysevers the individual labels 142 from each other along the dashed lines139, applies a suitable adhesive material to the back of each label, andpresses the glued labels into adhesive relationship with respectivepieces ofmail 144 (see FIG. 3).

FIGS. 4 through 7 provide a more detailed view of the tabulating cardsupply hopper 120 and the mechanism for delivering a continuous streamof cards from that hopper to the copying station 22. The machine has amain drive motor, not shown, which is connected to drive all the feedrollers 56 and 58, 52 and 54, 122 and 124, 76 and 78, 82 and 64, 88 and90, 92 and 94, 98 and 100, and the conveyor belt roller 110, eitherdirectly or indirectly from a common drive chain 150. This type of driveis presently conventional in electrostatic photocopying machines of thekind modified for the purposes of this invention. For driving the feedrollers 122 and 124, which insert the tabulating cards 116 into the nipof rollers 52 and 54, the chain 150 engages a sprocket wheel 152 affixedto shaft 154 which is journaled in a vertical panel 157 of the machine20 by means of a bushing 159. The shaft 154 drives a gear 186 securedthereto, which in turn drives a gear 182 which rotates on a shaft 183protruding from a lug 184 formed in one sidewall 178 of hopper 120. Gear102 in turn drives a gear 176 secured to a lower roller shaft 174, whichis journaled in both hopper sidewalls 178 and has two lower card feedrollers 124 secured thereto. Shaft 174 also has a gear wheel 168 securedthereto for driving a gear 169 secured to an upper roller shaft 171which has two upper card feed rollers 122 secured thereto. Each upperroller 122 is paired with one of the lower rollers 124 for gripping andfeeding successive tabulating cards 116.

In order to deliver successive tabulating cards 116 to the feed rollers122 and 124, there is employed a pair of card pickers 156 of the kindwhich is common in card handling machinery. As best seen in FIGS. 14 and15, each card picker 156 has a card-engaging member 158 which protrudesslightly less than the thickness of a tabulating card above the topsurface of the picker so as to engage a single tabulating card 116, Le.the bottom one in the hopper 120. In order to reach the bottom card, thepickers 156 ride in access slots 160 which are formed in the floor 162of the card supply hopper 120. The pickers 156 ar reciprocatedlongitudinally within these slots, as indicated by arrows 162, FIG. 5,by means ofa carrier shaft 166 164 engaging the opposite ends ofacarrier shaft 164. On each forward stroke of the pickers 156 (i.e. inthe downward direction as viewed in FIG. 4) the members 158 catch atabulating card 116 and deliver it to the feed rollers 122 and 124. Oneach return stroke (upward in FIG. 4) the pickers return to theirinitial position so that the members 158 can engage the next tabulatingcard 116 and repeat the operation.

The drive links 166 are made to perform their reciprocating motion bymeans of respective crank wheels, the gear wheel 168 and another wheel170, to which they are cccentrically connected by pins 172. The crankwheels 168 and 170 are secured to opposite ends of the lower rollershaft 174 Thus the drive to shaft 174 not only is imparted to rollers124, and via gear 169 to rollers 122, but also serves to reciprocate thelinks 166 and the card pickers 156. The motion of the card pickers 156is guided in a linear direction notwithstanding the cranking of thelinks 166, by pairs of side rails 180 which are secured to the lowersurface of the hopper floor 162 and which extend laterally into slidingengagement with slots 181 formed in the card pickers 156.

In order to interrupt the delivery of cards 116 by stopping the cardfeed rollers 122 and 124 and the card pickers 156, there is provided aclutch mechanism 190 (FIGS. 6 and 7) controlled by a solenoid SOL-4secured to a bracket 192 mounted upon one of the hopper side panels 178.The gear 176 is continuously driven, but is not continuously connectedto the shaft 174. Instead, the gear 176 is secured to a cylindricaldrive hub 194 which is rotatable relative to the shaft 174. The drivehub 194 in turn may be drivingly engaged with or disengaged from adriven hub 196 on the shaft 174 which is continuously connected to thatshaft by means ofa pin 198. In order to accomplish the engaging anddisengaging function, the clutch 190 comprises a coil spring 200 whichsurrounds both hubs 194 and 196, and is normally wound sufficientlytightly thereon so that the coil spring clasps them both and drivinglyconnects the two hubs together. Under these conditions, the continuouslydriven gear 176 and its hub 194 transmit power via the clutching springlhub 196 and P 193 t0 the lower shaft 174. The shaft then drives thelower rollers 124 and the wheels and 168, which actuate the links 166 todrive the card pickers 156, and wheel 168 also drives the gear 169 torotate the upper shaft 171 and rollers 122.

One of the rollers 124, seen at the right in FIG. 5 is affixed directlyto the shaft 174, while the other, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, is mountedupon the driven hub 196 and drivingly secured thereto by means of afastener 202. The fastener secures an eccentric arm 204 of the hub 196to the central disc of the roller 124, and also anchors the adjacent end206 to the clutching spring 200.

In order to disengage the clutch 190, the free end 208 of the spring 200is engaged by a blocking member 210 which is mounted upon a shaft 212journaled within a bushing 214 secured to the hopper side panel 178. Thedriving direction of the mechanism is clockwise, as indicated by arrow216 in FIG. 7. When the driving hub 194 attempts to rotate the clutchingspring 200 in that direction, the blocking member 210 engages the springend 208 and blocks rotation of the clutching spring 200. To the extentthat the clutching spring 200 can be rotated by the drive hub 194, itonly serves to turn the spring 200 in the uncoiling direction relativeto the blocked end 208, thus releasing the clutching engagement of thespring 200.

When it is necessary to release the spring end 208 and engage the clutch190, the blocking member 210 is moved to the left relative to the viewof FIG. 7 to remove it from blocking relationship with the spring end208. This is accomplished by rotating the blocking member shaft 212clockwise by means of a control link 218 secured thereto. The controllink in turn is pivotally connected by means ofa pin 220 to a connectinglink 222 which functions by pulling upwardly upon the pivot pin 220 toproduce clockwise rotation of the link 218. The connecting link in turnis actuated by the armature 224 of solenoid SOL-4, to which it isconnected by means of a pivot pin 226.

So long as the solenoid SOL-4 is energized, its armature 224 isattracted upwardly to lift the connecting link 222 and rotate controllink 218 and shaft 212 clockwise, thereby preventing the blockingelement 210 from interfering with spring end 208. Under thesecircumstances the clockwise torque exerted on clutching spring 200 bythe drive hub 194 tends to tighten the spring against the hubs 194 and196 for a driving connection therebetween. The clutch is then en gaged,to complete the drive train to the card pickers 156 and the feed rollers122 and 124.

When the solenoid SOL-4 is deenergized, its armature 224 is loweredunder spring bias, driving connecting link 222 down to rotate controllink 218 and shaft 212 counterclockwise. This returns blocking element210 to the position in which it interferes with the spring end 208.Then, as soon as the clutching spring 200 completes its currentrevolution and comes into position for the spring end 208 to reengagethe blocking element 210, the clutch 190 is disengaged.

In order to bring the feed rollers 122 and 124 and the card pickers 156to an immediate halt and insure that the pickers do not stop at anindefinite position after disengagement of the clutch 190, there isprovided a stop member 230 secured by means of a pivot pin 232 to theunderside of the hopper floor 162. This stop member is normally rotatedclockwise about its pivot pin, as seen in the view of FIG. 6, by meansof a biasing spring 234. One end of the spring is hooked through anaperture 236 at one end ofthe stop member 230, and the other end of thespring is hooked around a pin 238 protruding downwardly from the lowersurface of the hopper floor 162. When in its biased position, the stop230 interposes its free end in the path of rotation of a cooperatingstop element 240 which is secured to the central web of the nearbyroller 124 by means ofa fastener 242. The roller 124 rotates clockwiserelative to FIG. 7 until the element 240 strikes the member 230 toprovide a positive stop. This halts one of the rollers 124 and, becauseoftheir mutual connection to shaft 174, also stops the other roller 124,the upper rollers 122, and the card pickers 156. This causes the entirecard feed mechanism to stop in a known position, and also cuts off thecard feed abruptly and precisely.

In the blocking position of stop 230. its biased rotation about thepivot pin 232 is limited by the blocking member 210 to prevent themember 230 from rotating past element 240. When the solenoid SOL-4engages the clutch 190, the motion of blocking element 210 to the leftrelative to FIGS. 6 and 7 rotates stop 230 counterclockwise against theurging of its biasing spring 234, so as to remove the stop from blockingengagement with element 240, thereby releasing card pickers 156 and thefeed rollers 122 and 124 for a resumption of card feed. When thesolenoid SOL-4 is later deenergized to disengage clutch 190, the returnof blocking element 210 to its initial position allows the stop 230 toreturn under spring bias to its operative position. Then at theconclusion of the current revolution of the nearby roller 124, element240 once again engages the stop 230.

When the clutch 190 is engaged, the pickers 156 slide each successivetabulating card 116 across the hopper floor 162 and through an exitspace 250 between the hopper floor and the lower end of a hopper rearwall 252. The size of the exit space 250 is adjustable, by means ofelements 251 and 253, (FIG. 14) to admit no more than one tabulatingcard 116 for each picker cycle. The element 251 is adjustable forwardlyand rearwardly within a channel 255 (FIG. formed in the hopper floor162, and cooperates with the element 253 which is adjustable up and downin a channel 257 (FIG. 14) formed in the hopper wall 252.

Each tabulating card 116 as it emerges from the exit space 250 isgripped between the pairs of card feed rollers 122 and 124, and therebyfed across a plate 254 which guides the cards into the grip offeedrollers 52 and 54, which deliver all material to be copied, documentsand tabulating cards alike, to the copying station 22.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the guide plate 254 is formed with a first pair oflugs 256 at opposite sides thereof which are secured to respectivehopper side panels 178 by means ofpins 258, which permit the guide plateto pivot relative to the card hopper 120. In addition, the guide plateis provided with two further depending lugs 260 at opposite sidesthereof which are pivotally connected by means of pins 262 to thecopying machine sidewalls 157. Finally, the hopper sidewalls 178 arealso provided with depending lugs 264 and bushings 265 by means of whichthe entire card hopper 120 is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 266, whichin turn is supported by bushings 268 upon the copying machine sidewalls157.

The hoppers downward movement is limited by a pair of depending lugs270, one of which is visible in FIG. 4, which strike against a shaft 272supported between the copying machine side panels 157. Shaft 272 is sopositioned that the hopper floor 162 is inclined to the right as seen inFIGS. 4 and 7 to facilitate the exit of tabulating cards 116 through thespace 250. The front of the hopper 120 has a pair of short posts 274(FIGS. 1 and 4) which serve only to align the lower tabulating cards inthe deck 116, and are not required to retain the upper cards within thehopper 120.

Below the hopper floor 162 is a switch SW-7 (FIGS. 1 and 5) having afeeler arm 230 which protrudes up through an aperture 282 in the hopperfloor 162 in order to sense the tabulating card deck 116. As long ascards are present to depress the switch plunger 280, the electricalcontrol circuit (FIG. 16) is advised that the tabulating cards areavailable in the hopper to be copied. A heavy metal card follower weight117 (FIG. 1) keeps the cards flat for engagement with the pickers 156,and for actuation of the switch SW-7 even when only one card remains inthe hopper. Weight 117 however has the usual relief (not shown) toprevent it along from actuating the switch when the cards are exhausted.Under those circumstances cards no longer depress the switch plunger 280and the control circuit is advised that the card copying operation hasbeen completed. The switch SW-7 also appears schematically in theelectrical circuit of FIG. 16, where it is revealed as one of theelements controlling the circuit for energizing a solenoid SOL2 whichoperates the copy paper cutoff knife mechanism 80. As is described morefully below, one of the conditions for severing the copy paper strip 40is completion of the tabulating card deck 116; hence the connection ofthe card sensing switch SW-7 to the cutoff knife solenoid SOL-2.

Now that the mechanism for supplying successive tabulating cards 116 tothe copying station 22 has been described, we turn our attention toFIGS. 12 and 13 for a description of the copy paper feed control, sothat the dual capability of the machine 20 may be more fully understood.There it is seen that the document sensing switches SW-3 and SW-4 aresuspended from a top panel 290 by means of an inverted U- shaped bracket292. These switches have respective feeler arms 294 and 296 which extenddownwardly into the document channel 46. In the document mode, feelerarm 296 closes switch SW-4 to energize a solenoid SOL-1 (FIG. 16) overthe entire length of the document inserted into channel 46. SolenoidSOL-1 then engages a conventional clutch (not shown) for driving thecopy paper feed rollers 76 and 78 during the time that it takes theoriginal document to pass the feller 296. As a result, the feed rollersare made to unreel a length of copy paper 40 equal to the length of theoriginal document being copied. Then when the trailing edge of theoriginal document passes feeler 294, the latter closes switch SW-3 toenergize the cutoff knife solenoid SOL-2 (see also FIG. 16). In this waythe copy paper 40 is cut to the length of the original document. Suchoperation assumes of course that a four-ganged switch SW-2, Which is themode selector, is transferred to the left relative to FIG. 16, so as toselect the document mode.

For card copying, the machine and the electrical control circuit operatequite differently. The mode selector switch SW-2 is transferred to theright relati e to FIG. 16, and the feed button 298 (FIGS. 12 and 13) ismanually depressed to drive downwardly a feed lever 300 mounted forvertical movement upon a vertical panel 312 by pins 302 engagingvertical slots 304 formed in the panel 312 by pins 302 engaging verticalslots 304 formed in the lever. The lever is connected by means of apivot pin 306 to a rotatable segment 308 pivotally mounted upon a shaft310 journaled in the panel 312. The downward motion of the feed leverrotates the shaft 310 counterclockwise relative to the view of FIG. 12.At the opposite end of the shaft is secured a link 314 by which theshaft may be rotated clockwise under control of a pair of parallel links316 connected by a pivot pin 318 to the armature 320 of a feed breaksolenoid SOL-3 (see also FIG. 16).

A detenting leaf spring 322 is secured to the panel 312 by means of abracket 324 and suitable fasteners 326. The detenting spring is bent toform a projection 328 which bears against an areuate edge of the member308 and engages either of two detents 330 formed therein to hold thesegment 308 in either of two position.

The position illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13 is the one assumed by thesegment when the copying machine 20 is in the document mode. Under thesecircumstances the feeler 296 of switch SW-lis not engaged by an actuator334 connected by a pair of upstanding lugs 336 and a pin 33% to a pairof upstanding lugs 340 bent from a bracket 362. The bracket 342 isformed with downwardly bent lugs 344 at either end thereof which receivethe shaft 310. So long as the element just described are in theillustrated document mode position, the switch SW-d operates the feedroller clutch solenoid SOL-l only when the feller arm 2% is actuated bya document.

But when the feed button 298 is manually depressed to drive lever 31Mdownwardly, segment 36% is rotated counterclockwise, relative to theview of FIG. 12, and is thereby shifted to the other dented position.This rotation of segment 308 turns shaft 310, so that a lug 332 bentupwardly from the end of the actuator 334 and situated eccentrically ofthe shaft 310 is then raised by member 3M to engage the feeler arm 296of switch SW-4l. As a result, switch SW-d is closed to energize thesolenoid SOLl, which engages the drive to the copy paper feed rollers 76and '78 for card copying operation. The detenting spring 322 holds theactuator 334 in this position to keep the switch SW-d closed throughouta card copying operation. In this use of the same switch SW-4 to controlthe paper feed for card mode as well as document mode operation, weagain see how a conventional single purpose photocopier has been adaptedto do double duty as a card copier.

During such operation cards which are delivered sequentially across theguide plate 245 by the card feed rollers 122 and 1124 are then grippedbetween the same rollers 52 and 5a which in the document mode serve toextract the original document from channel as. These rollers then feedeach card in turn across the transparent plate 2d of the copying station22. The plate 24 is made of glass and is supported upon a metal plate35% having an aperture 352 therein to admit the light beam 26 from thelamp 223 (FIG. l). A roof plate 354 cooperates with the glass plate 24to define the channel through which the copied material passes.

A subsequent set of feed rollers 56 and 58 extracts the copied material,either a document or a sequence of tabulating cards, from the copyingstation 22 and ejects it to the left relative to the view of FIG. ll2.When the machine is in the card mode, the gates 70 are in the positionillustrated in FIG. 12 and by the solid lines of FIG. I. In thisposition they direct the emerging tabulating cards downwardly across aguide plate 356 and through passageway 379 into the output bin I26.Alternatively, when the machine is operating in the document mode, thetray 60 is put in place over the panel 62, and flange 64 strikes thegates 70 at a location 71 above the center of shaft 72, causing thegates to'rotate downwardly as shown by the dashed lines of FIG. ll. Thisin turn causes the documents emerging from between the rollers 56 and 58to be deflected across the top surface of the gates so that they fallinto the tray till. When the tray so is removed, the gates spring backup to the card position under the influence of respective biasingsprings 73 which are coiled about shaft 72. One end of each spring isanchored within an opening 75 in the shaft, and the other end pressesupwardly against a flat 77 formed centrally of the gates 70 above abifurcation defined by a pair of spaced hubs 79 (see FIG. 8). Thebiasing springs are laterally contained within this bifurcation.

in order to minimize the blank space between consecutive mailing addresslabels printed on the output strip 41, the card feed rollers ll22 andH24 run at higher linear speed than the feed rollers 52 and 54. As aresult, during the interval when one tabulating card lllfi has sloweddown to the speed dictated by rollers 52 and 5d and the followingtabulating card is still being conveyed at the faster speed dictated bythe rollers in and 124, the second tabulating card catches up with thefirst one to some extent and thus overlaps it. Consequently, successivetabulating cards lilo arrive at the copying station 22 in an overlappingrelationship reminiscent of shingles on a roof. This causes theconsecutive address labels I38 to be printed closer together upon thecopy strip 41.

- iii Whenever conditions call for an automatic: termination of the cardcopying mode, the solenoid SOL-3 is energized. This causes it to retractits armature 320 and pull the parallel connecting links 316 to the leftrelative to the view of FIG. 12, so as to rotate the member 314 andshaft 310 clockwise. When so rotated, the shaft 310 retracts the lug 332of actuator 334 from the switch feeler 296, to open switch SW-4 andterminate energization of the copy paper feed roller clutch solenoidSOL-1. At the same time, the shaft 310 rotates the segment 308 clockwiseto return it to its original detented position, so that the mechanismremains out ofthe card mode until the next time that the feed button 298is manually depressed.

The reader is now in a position to appreciate the electrical logic ofFIG. 16. Switch SW-1 of FIG 16 turns the machine 20 on and off bycontrolling the AC supply from a pair of power input terminals 360 and362. This switch is physically located on the front panel 364 of themachine 20 as seen in FIG. ii. Also located on that panel is switch SW-2of FIG. 16, which is a double throw device used to select between thedocument and card copying modes ofthe machine 20. Electrically switchSW2 comprises four individual switches SW-2.l through SW-ld in gangedrelationship (dashed line 366). Terminal D ofeach switch is the documentmode terminal, and terminal C is the card mode terminal. Switches SW-3and SW 2 of FIG. 116 are represented also in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13. Inconnection with the latter two figures it was explained that, in thedocu ment mode, switch SW-4 closes during the time that a document isfed past the feeler arm 296, as a means of detecting the length of thedocument, so as then to actuate the cutoff knife solenoid SOL-2 andsever a matching length of copy paper 410.

In contrast, when the machine operates in the card copying mode, switchSW-3 is cut out of the circuit by the mode selector switch SW-2 so as todisable the cutoff mechanism lid to provide an output in the form ofacontinuous strip rather than discrete copies. Switch SW-d, on the otherhand, is still needed to advance the copy paper 41, but is manuallyclosed by the operating the feed button 298 and latched in that positionby the detenting relationship between segment 308 and spring 322 of FIG.12. Subsequently, when solenoid SOL-3 of FIGS. 112 and i6 is energized,the detenting segment 303 is shifted and the switch SW4 is allowed toreopen (dashed line 363) to terminate card mode operation.

Solenoid SOL-3 is energized to accomplish this, when the selector switchSW-2 is in its card mode position, by either of two switches SW-7 andSW-S of FIG. 16 which are electrically in parallel. Switch SW-7 isphysically represented in FIGS. 1 and 5, where it is seen that is ispositioned to sense the tabulating card deck 116. This switch closedwhen the tabulating card deck is exhausted, i.e. when the card copyingrun has been completed. Switch SW8 is physically represented in FIG. iwhere it is seen positioned adjacent the copy strip 41 as it is unreeledfrom the supply roll 43. The feeler arm 371 of this switch senses thecopy strip, and closes the switch when the strip is exhausted or isbroken upstream from the feed rollers '76 and '73. Accordingly, in thecard mode, when the copying of the tabulating card deck 1116 iscompleted, or the copy paper strip 41 is exhausted or broken, thesolenoid SOL3 is energized to release the feed switch SW-4 and terminatethe feeding of copy paper M.

A further switch SW-S, which is represented only in the electricaldiagram of FIG. 16, is mechanically operated by a suitably driven andtimed cam 370 to provide time delay. This time delay relates to thedocument mode, and its purpose is to allow the leading and trailingedges of the copy paper strip 40 to travel from the point of cutoff bythe knife mechanism 80 down to the printing station 33, and to allow theleading and trailing edges of the original document, after engaging thefeeler arm 2% of switch SW 3, to travel through channel 46 to reach thecopying station 22, before the copying lamp 28 and the electrostaticcharging device 86 are turned on (for leading edges) or off (fortrailing edges). For this reason, terminals 373 energized by the switchSW-S are provided for connection to the'lamp 28 and charger 86 (notshown in FIG.

16). Since the electrical connections to the lamp and charger and themechanical time delay mechanism are all conventional equipment oncopying machines which are now being marketed, it is unnecessary toillustrate or describe them in any greater detail.

in another example of the way in which the existing mechanism forcopying documents is adapted for cards according to this invention, thesame switch SW-S is used also to control the card feed clutch solenoidSOL-4 in the card mode, so that the tabulating cards 116 are not fedfrom the card hopper 120 to the copying station 22 until the copyinglamp 28 and the electrostatic charger 36 have been turned on to renderthe machine operative for copying.

Flnally, there is a switch SW-9 which is ganged (dashed line 372) withswitch SW-8 of FIGS. 1 and 16. Switch SW-9 is in series with the cardfeed clutch solenoid SOL-4, and opens to disrupt the feeding of cardswhen the feeler arm 371 (H0. 1) detects a break in the continuity of thecopy paper strip 41. In the card mode, switch SW-9 acts immediately todeenergize the card feed clutch solenoid SOL-4 and stop the feeding ofcards abruptly when the paper copy strip 41 is no longer available forcopying them. This immediate card feed cutoff makes it unnecessary towait for switch SW-il to produce a delayed deenergization of solenoidSOL-4 via dashed line 368, and switch SW-4.

A typical sequence of operations of the machine 20 will now be describedin detail with reference to the electrical logic of FIG. 16. To beginwith, the machine is turned on by closing switch SW-1 on the front panel364. Let us assume that one or more documents are to be copied first. Toset the machine 20 in the document copying mode, the selector switchSW-2 on front panel 364 is transferred to its D terminals of FIG. 16. Asa result, switch SW-2.4 disables the branch of the circuit whichincludes switch SW-9, and the card feed clutch solenoid SOL-4, whileswitch SW-2.3 disables the copy paper feed release solenoid SOL-3. Inaddition switch SW-2.3 prevents the card sensing switch SW-7 and thecopy paper sensing switch SW-S from operating the knife solenoid SOL-2;instead, the switch SW-2.1 connects the knife solenoid SOL-2 to thedocument trailing edge sensing switch SW-3.

At this point the operator inserts a single document into the channel 46until it is grabbed by the driven rollers 51 and 53. When the leadingedge ofthe document contacts feeler 296, it closes switch SW-4 andthereby energizes the solenoid SOL-1 to clutch the drive chain 150 tothe copy paper feed rollers 76 and 78, so that copy paper 40 is feddownwardly from these rollers starting at the time that the documentleading edge passes the switch SW-4. Furthermore, the latter switchremains closed for the entire time it takes for the length of theoriginal document to pass the switch feeler arm 296, so that feedrollers 76 and 78 continue to unreel a length of copy paper 40 equal tothe length of the original document. Then when the trailing edge or theoriginal document releases the feeler arm 296, switch SW-4 opens todeenergize solenoid SOL-l and stop feeding copy paper 10. Also when therailing edge passes feeler arm 294, switch SW-3 closes and energizessolenoid SOL-2 to actuate the cutoff knife mechanism 80, severing thecopy paper 49 to the length of the original document,

The time which it takes the leading edge of the original document topass through the channel 46 from the switch SW-4 to the copying station22 is equal to the time that it takes the leading edge of the copy paperstrip 40 to pass from the point where it was last severed by the cutoffknife mechanism 80 down to the printing station 38. Similarly, the timethat it takes the trailing edge of the original document to pass fromthe switch SW3 through the copying station 22 is equal to the time thatit takes the freshly severed trailing edge ofthe copy paper 40 to passdownwardly from the point where it was severed by the cutoff knifemechanism 80 and through the printing station 38.

While the machine 20 is in this operating mode, a plurality of documentcopies can be made only by repeating the process; i.e. an originaldocument must be manually inserted into the channel 46 once for eachcopying cycle of the machine 20.

In contrast, in the card copying mode, the machine 20 is conditioned fora continuous copying run during which a steady stream of tabulatingcards 116 are copied in succession, and the operation of the machinecontinues automatically in this manner until it is deliberately shut offor the tabulating cards 116 have all been copied, or the copy paperstrip 41 is exhausted or suffers an accidental break.

ln order to operate in the card copying mode, the operator fills thehopper 120 with the tabulating cards 116 and puts the card weight 117over the deck. He also replaces the 8 /2 inch document width copy paperroll 42 upon the shaft 47 with a roll 43 containing the narrower widthcopy paper strip 41 which is suitable for address labels. Then theselector switch SW-2 is transferred to its card copying mode position.Switch SW2.1 then takes control of the cutoff knife solenoid SOL-2 awayfrom the document trailing edge sensing switch SW-3, switches SW-2.2 and2.3 respectively give control over the cutoff knife solenoid SOL-2 andthe copy paper feed release solenoid SOL-3 to the parallel combinationof the card sensing switch SW-7 and the copy paper sensing switch SW-B,and switch SW2.4 gives control over the card feed clutch solenoid SOL-4to the copy paper sensing switch SW-9 and the time delay switch SW.S.

The operator then presses down the feed button 298 and its lever 300 formanual closure and locking of switch SW-4. That switch energizes thesolenoid SOL-l which engages a clutch to connect the copy paper feedrollers 76 and 78 to the main drive chain 150, so that the copy strip 41is unreeled. At this moment the switch SW-S is still open, and the cardfeed solenoid SOL-4 is still deenergized along with the copying lamp 28and the electrostatic charger 86. After the passage of the time delaygoverned by SW-S which is operated by cam 370, switch SW-5 then closes,turns on the copying lamp and charger, and energizes the card feedclutch solenoid SOL-4 through switches SW-9 and SW-2.4. Solenoid SOL-4consequently engages clutch 190 to drive pickers 156 and feed rollers122 and 124, which then begin delivering the tabulating cards 116sequentially to the copying station 22. Operation in the card copyingmode will then continue automatically in this manner so long as switchesSW-7 and SW-8 are open and switch SW-9 is closed.

There are two alternative conditions which automatically terminate cardcopying operation. On of these is exhaustion of the tabulating cards inthe hopper when the card copying job has been completed. When cards 116are no longer sensed by the switch SW-7, that switch closes to completean energizing path for the cutoff knife solenoid SOL-2 through switchesSW-4 and SW-2.2. Solenoid SOL-2 then actuates the cutoff knife mechanism80 to sever the copy paper strip 41 as is appropriate after copying allthe cards 116 in the hopper 120. In addition, the closing of switch SW-7completes a circuit to the feed release solenoid SOL-3 through switchesSW-4 and SW-2.3, so that solenoid SOL-3 then releases the feed controllever 300 to open the switch SW-4, This in turn deenergizes the solenoidSOL-l to declutch the copy paper feed rollers 76 and 78 and discontinuethe delivery of the copy paper strip 41. in addition, after the passageof the time delay, the switch SW-5 opens to deenergize solenoid SOL-4and disengage the card feed clutch 190, since the card hopper 120 is nowempty.

The other condition which automatically terminates card mode operationis exhaustion or discontinuity of the copy paper strip 41 upstream fromthe feed roller 76 and 78. When this happens, arm 371 is transferred andSW-8 closes. As a result, the solenoid SOL-3 is energized to release thelever 300 and open the switch SW-4. This declutches the paper feedrollers 76 and 78, which are no longer needed once the copy paper strip41 is no longer there to be fed. The same movement of the sensing arm371 which closes switch SW-8 also opens the other copy paper sensingswitch SW-9, so that upon interruption of the copy paper strip 41 thesolenoid SOL-4 is immediately deenergized and the clutch 190 disengagedto stop feeding tabulating cards 116 to the copying station 22.

During card copying operation the successive tabulating cards 116emerging from the copying station 22 under control of the rollers 56 and58 pass between the gating members 70 and the plate 356, and then passbelow the panel 62 and fall through passageway 379 into output bin 126where they are caught upon the floating card catcher tray 128. At thebeginning of the card copying run, the catcher tray is near the top ofthe output bin 126 so that the tabulating cards can not flip over asthey fall, but instead land flat upon the tray. This insures that thecards will not be damaged as other cards accumulate above, and alsoinsures that they are deposited in the proper sequence. But then ascards accumulate on the tray 128, the effective card catching surfacebecomes the rising top of the output deck 380. Therefore, in order tomade room for the steadily increasing thickness of that deck, and tokeep the effective card catching surface near the top of the output bin126 so that subsequent cards are caught in the same way, the tray 1211is mounted upon a floating mechanism 382 which slowly lowers it towardthe bottom of the bin 126 in response to the increasing weight of theoutput deck 380.

As seen in F165. 1, 8 and 9 the tray 128 is in the form of a platehaving depending ears 384 at opposite sides thereof. Each of these earsis provided with an upper roller 386 journaled on a stub shaft 388 and alower roller 390 journaled on a stub shaft 302. The lower rollers 390are set somewhat forwardly on the upper rollers 386, and all fourrollers are formed with peripheral grooves 394 to receive respectivevertical rail 396 on opposite sides of the output bin 126. The center ofgravity of the tray 128, with or without the output deck 380, is forwardof the rails 396, causing the entire assembly to be gravity biased sothat the rollers 386 and 390 on each side clasp their associated railstherebetween, to suspend the catcher tray 1211 at any required heightalong the rails. In addition, the rollers 306 and 390 roll on the rails396 to permit relatively easy adjustment of the vertical position of thecatcher tray 1211.

Each of the rails 396 is supported at its top by tongue-ingrooveengagement with a holding bracket 398 which is secured to the rear wall400 of the output bin 126. At their lower ends the rails 396 haveextension pins 402 which are received within appropriate openings in thefloor plate 404 of the output bin 126. The rear wall 400 is formed witha cutout 401 at the top which defines the lower edge of passageway 379.

The catcher tray 128 is held at whatever height is appropriate to theinstantaneous size of the tabulating card output deck 380, by a counterbalancing mechanism comprising a coil spring 406 anchored at its lowerend to a tab 408 which projects from the rear wall 400. The upper end ofthe spring is hooked through a suitable opening in the center ofa bar410. The opposite ends of this bar have openings to which are securedthe ends of respective wires 412. The wires extend upwardly from the bar410 and are wound first about the smaller diameters 414 and then aboutthe larger diameters 416 of a pair of compound pulleys, which arerotatably mounted by means ofstub shafts 418 on the rear wall400. FRomthe larger diameter section 416 of each compound pulley the wires 412extend to the respective ears 384 of the catcher tray 128, and aresecured to openings 420 therein. By this means the counterbalancingspring 406 exerts a continuous, yielding upward force on the catchertray 128. As the weight of the card output deck 380 increases, thecatcher tray 128 sinks within the output bin 126, and the wires 412unreel from the compound pulleys 416, 414, raising the bar 410 andextending the spring 406.

The cards 380 are further confined by a front panel 422 which is acontinuation of the top panel 62, and which bends over into engagementwith the floor panel 404 at the bottom of the bin. in order to confinethe cards 380 laterally, a pair of moveable side panels 424 areprovided, which are held in place by the horizontal tension exerted by apair of coil springs 426 engaging the side panels 424 at one end andhooked at the other end into suitable openings 428 formed in the rearwall 400. At the top, the side panels 424 are formed with pins 430 whichextend through suitable openings in lugs 432 bent from opposite sides ofthe holding bracket 398. At the bottom the side panels 424 are formedwith similar pins 434 which engage suitable openings in the floor panel404. The pins 430 and 434 rotatably mount the side panels 424 so thateither panel can be swung aside against the force of its spring 426, toprovide access to the bin for removing the card deck 380. Afterwards thespring 426 returns the panel 424 to its original position. Lugs 427 bentfrom the rear wall 400 serve to limit the springbaised motion of panels424, and to define their rest positions.

The entire output bin 126 is supported upon the front panel 436 ofthecopying machine 20 by means ofa pair of brackets 440 bent from the binrear wall 400. The gate shaft 72 passes through openings in thesebrackets, and in turn is supported on the copying machine side panels157. Near the lower end of the output bin 416 are slots 441 which engagedownwardly over fastener shanks 443 protruding forwardly from thecopying machine front panel 436. The shanks 443 are provided withenlarged fastener heads 442, which serve to retain the shanks 443 withinthe slots 441. Enlarged openings 444 communicate with the slots 441 toprovide for initial engagement with the enlarged heads 442.

FIGS. 10 and 11 provide a detailed view of the mechanism which deliversthe copy paper strip to the exit 104 and winds it up on the takeup reel132 during card-copying operation. Roller in FIG. 1 is conventionallydriven by the main drive chain 150, and rotates on a shaft 450 suitablyjournaled in the side panels 157 of the machine 20. This roller haslooped thereover one end of each of four conveyor belts 106, the upperstrands of which move to the left (as seen in FIGS. 1, 10 and 11) inresponse to counterclockwise rotation of the roller 110. Thus belts 106convey the output strip 40 or 41 toward the machine exit 104. The fourconveyor belts 106 span a breadth which is adapted to convey the 8 /2inch width of document-sized copy paper 40 when the machine is used inthe document mode, while the two innermost belts 106 are sufficientlyclosely spaced to carry the narrower width of copy paper strip 41 whichis used for address labels. The conveyor belts 106 also act as drivebelts to rotate roller 112 upon a shaft 452 which is supported betweenmachine side panels 157. The roller 112 is provided with grooves 456 forkeeping the conveyor belts 106 in proper alignment, and similar grooves(not shown) are preferably formed on the roller 110.

The roller 112 is further provided with additional grooves 458 forproper alignment ofa further set of conveyor belts 108 which are loopedthereabout and are driven by the roller 112. The belts 108 serve toconvey the copy machine output paper 40 or 41 the rest of the way towardthe exit 104. The four of them are spaced widely enough to accommodatethe 8 /2 inch regular document width of copy paper 40, which the twoinnermost belts 108 are properly spaced to support the narrower width ofaddress label copy paper strip 41. The other ends of belts 108 arelooped about the roller 114 and are engaged in grooves 460 thereof forproper alignment. The roller 114 is secured to a shaft 462 which isjournaled in a pair of side panels 464 of a reel mechanism supportingmember 465 located at the machine exit 104. These side panels are formedwith hooks 466 which engage over the shaft 452 to keep the supportingmember 465 properly positioned. The member 465 also includes a floorpanel 480.

In the document mode, as each copy emerges from the exit 104 upon theconveyor belts 108, it is manually retrieved by the operator ofthecopying machine 20. But in the card mode, as the continuous label strip41 emerges from the exit 104, it is taken up continuously upon a reel132. The takeup reel is secured to a shaft- 136 provided with largediameter rims 138 at the opposite ends thereof. The rims 138 serve aslateral containment for the roll 134 of label output strip 41, and alsoserve as a driving means of the shaft 136 and takeup reel 132. In orderto accomplish this latter function, the enlarged rims 138 are infrictional driving engagement with the roller 130 which in turn issecured to a drive shaft 467 to rotate the roller. The drive shaft 467has a gear 468 at one end which in turn meshes with a gear 470 on theshaft 462 of the conveyor belt roller 114. Consequently, the conveyorbelts 108 provide the drive for the takeup reel 132.

The shaft 136 rotates on, and is gravitationally retained in place upon,the arms 462 of a U-shaped bracket 474. The bracket in turn is mountedon a rod 476 which is supported at either end by the panels 464 andwhich extends through the bracket arms 472. A second rod 478, alsosupported at either end by the panels 464, engages the lower end of thebracket 474 in order to limit its rotation about the rod 476.

When the copying machine has completed its work, the reel I32 and shaft[36 carrying the label output roll 134 are removed therefrom andoperatively mounted in a conventional labeling machine.

Any suitable means, such as a conventional-type photocell arrangement,may be used to insure that the locations of the strip cutting lines arebetween the successive field of said addresses. Further the copy paper40 may be provided with conventional indicia or pin feed holes so thatthe output strip 41 may be efficiently used in conventional-typelabelling equip ment. Here again suitable means are provided forsynchronizing the movement of such an output strip and the feed of saidtabulating cards 116.

It will now be appreciated that the present invention provides a novelsystem, having both method and apparatus aspects, for the rapidautomatic printing and application of large numbers of mailing addresslabels; the system dispensing with conventional printing presses andplates, and thus avoiding the multitude of disadvantages which theyentail. In addition, the card copying apparatus of the system involvesseveral novel and advantageous modifications to an existing photocopyingmachine which enables it to copy a continuous stream of tabulatingcards.

Since the foregoing description and drawings are merely illustrative,the scope of protection of the invention has been more broadly stated inthe following claims. These claims should therefore be liberallyinterpreted so as to obtain the benefit of all equivalents to which theinvention is fairly entitled.

The invention we claim is:

1. ln a photocopy machine having an illuminating station, a documententrance to said illuminating station, means for moving material throughsaid illuminating station, and a document exit from said illuminatingstation, the improvement comprising: a record card supply hopper on saidmachine, means for delivering record cards sequentially from said hopperto said illuminating station, a record card exit means from saidilluminating station, a document exit means from said illuminatingstation separate from said record card exit means, and means forselectively directing said material through said record card exit meansor said document exit means.

2. In a photocopy machine as in claim 1, the additional improvementcomprising: a gate member moveable between a position in which to divertto said document exit means any material issuing from said illuminatingstation, and a position in which to divert said material to said recordcard exit means.

3. [n a photocopying machine having a station for copying material,means for moving said material through said copying station, means forstoring an elongated strip of copy paper, printing means, means forfeeding said copy paper strip longitudinally through'said printingmeans, means for correlating the operation of said copy paper feedingmeans with the passage of an original document through said machine, andmeans including a knife for severing said copy paper strip to the lengthof said original document; the improvement comprising:

a record card supply hopper on said machine;

means for delivering cards sequentially from said hopper to said stationfor copying;

card mode selecting means;

means responsive to said card mode selecting means for disabling saidcorrelating means to keep said copy paper feeding means operating whilea plurality of cards are copied whereby to distribute the copies of saidcards along the length of said copy paper strip;

and means responsive to said card mode selecting means for disablingsaid severing means during the copying of said cards whereby to create acontinuous strip of said copies.

4. In a machine as in claim 3 including means for driving said copypaper feed means, and an exit through which said continuous copy paperstrip emerges from said machine after printing, the additionalimprovement comprising: means adjacent said exit for reeling up saidcontinuous strip, said realup means being driven by said copy paper feeddrive means.

5. The invention of claim 3 further comprising: means for disabling saidmachine, and means for sensing at least one of the following materials;said record cards in said hopper or said copy paper supply; said sensingmeans being conditioned by said card mode selecting means to actuatesaid machinedisabling means whereby to interrupt said card copyingoperation when said material is not sensed.

6. The invention of claim 5 further comprising: means responsive to saidsensing means to actuate said severing means notwithstanding saiddisabling means, said sensing means being arranged to sense said recordcards in said hopper, whereby to sever said copy paper strip whencopying of the record cards in said hopper is completed.

7. The invention of claim 5 wherein said machine-disabling means iseffective to interrupt said record card delivery means, and said sensingmeans is arranged to sense said copy paper in said storage means,whereby to stop feeding cards when said copy paper supply is exhausted.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said machine-disabling means is alsoeffective to terminate the operation of said paper feeding means whensaid copy paper supply is exhausted.

9. The invention of claim 7 wherein said sensing means comprises a firstdevice for sensing said record cards in said hopper and a second devicefor sensing said copy paper supply, said machine-disabling means beingconnected to both said first and second sensing devices to interruptsaid record card delivery means when either said record cards areexhausted or said copy paper supply is exhausted.

10. In a machine as in claim 9 wherein said severing means includeselectrically actuated means for operating said knife, and said machineincludes respective electrically actuated means for interrupting saidrecord card delivery means and for operating said copy paper feed means,the additional improvement comprising: respective circuits forenergizing said knife operator, a first switch responsive to said firstsensing device, a second switch in parallel with said first switch andresponsive to said second sensing device, said switches being connectedto interrupt said copy paper feed operator circuit and energize saidknife operator circuit when either said record cards or said copy paperare exhausted, a circuit for energizing said record card deliveryinterrupter, and a third switch responsive to said second sensing deviceto energize said interrupter circuit whereby to interrupt the deliveryof said record cards when said copy paper is exhausted.

11. In a photocopy machine having a copying station, means for advancingdocument material through said copying station and continuouslyoperating drive means connected to said advancing means for driving thelatter, the improvement comprising: a record card supply hopper on saidmachine, card feed means for removing said cards from said hopper andtransporting them toward said copying station, a shaft connecting saidcard feed means to said drive means for normally continuously drivingsaid card feed means, and clutch means interposed between said shaft andsaid drive means for engaging and disengaging said shaft with said drivemeans whereby to start and stop the feeding of said record cardsindependently of operation of said document material advancing means.

12. The invention of claim llll wherein said card feed means comprisesrollers rotatably driven by said shaft and cooperating to propel saidrecord cards toward said copying station, picker means reciprocating toremove successive record cards from said hopper and deliver them to saidrollers, and a crank mechanism for reciprocating said picker means, saidcrank mechanism including wheel means rotatably driven by said shaft. 7

113. The invention of claim ill wherein said clutch means comprises adriving hub on said shaft rotatable relative thereto and engaged withsaid drive train, a driving hub affixed to said shaft for rotationtherewith, a coil spring surrounding said driving and driven hubs, meansanchoring one end of said coil spring relative to said driven hub, saidcoil spring normally clutching said driving hub for rotation therewith,means moveable between a position for blocking the free end of said coilspring to prevent it from rotating with said driving hub whereby todisrupt said clutching relationship, and a position for freeing saidspring end whereby to restore said clutching relationship, and anactuator for moving said blocking means between said positions.

114. The invention of claim 13 comprising first stop means fixedrelative to said shaft, second stop means movable toward and away from aposition of engagement with said first stop means at a fixed angularposition relative to said shaft to stop rotation of said shaft at saidangular position, and means responsive to the movement of said blockingmeans to its declutching position to move said second stop means intoengagement with said first stop means upon declutching.

15. The invention of claim M wherein said declutching responsive meansincludes a spring biasing said second stop means into engagement withsaid first stop means during declutching, said blocking means beingoperative to drive said second stop means out of said engagement inopposition to said spring when moving to its clutching position, and torelease said second stop means when moved to its declutching position.

16. The invention of claim 11 wherein said machine further comprisesmeans pivotally supporting said hopper whereby said hopper may berotated to provide access to said card feed means.

17. The invention of claim 16 further comprising a copying station,means for feeding documents through said copying station, meanspositioned for guide said record cards from said card feeding means tosaid document feeding means for subsequent delivery to said copyingstation, and means pivotally supporting said guide means and pivotallyconnecting it to said hopper for movement therewith to provide access tosaid card feed means.

181m a photocopying machine having a copying station, the improvementcomprising: means for supplying a continuous series of record cards tosaid copying station, an exit channel from said copying station for saidrecord cards, an output bin to collect record cards emerging from saidexit channel, and a vertically floating card catcher mechanism in saidbin comprising a card catcher tray, vertical rail means disposedeccentrically of said tray, paired wheels rotatably mounted on said trayand arranged to clasp said rail means therebetween in response to theweight of said tray whereby to mount said tray for vertical wheeledmovement on said rail means, and a counterbalancing spring mechanismbiasing said tray upwardly and yielding in proportion to the increasingweight of record cards thereon,

l9. ln a photocopying machine having means for retaining a supply ofcopy paper in continuous strip form, printing means, a copy paper exit,and motor driven means for conveying said copy paper from said retainingmeans through said printing means to said exit, the improvementcomprising: a takeup reel near said exit, and a drive mechanism operatedby said motor driven means for rotating said takeup reel to wind up saidcontinuous copy paper strip, said conveying means comprising a pluralityof rollers at least one of which is driven, means connecting said drivenroller to drive the remainder, said connecting means including beltslooped over said roller for conveying said copy paper strip to saidexit, said takeup reel being secured to a shaft for rotation thereby,means rotatably supporting said shaft and reel, said shaft having anenlarged rim drivingly secured thereto, said rim having a substantiallylarger diameter than said takeup reel and being in driving engagementwith one of said rollers, whereby said rim drives said reel and supportsit above the roller which engages said rim.

20. The invention ofclaim 19 wherein said shaft supporting meanscomprises a bracket having spaced arms extending therefrom to supportopposite ends of said shaft, said arms slanting so that said shaft rollsdownwardly thereon to bring said rim into gravity biased drivingengagement with said roller, and means for supporting said bracket.

21. In a photocopying machine having a copying station, a document feedchannel terminating upstream of said copying station, document feedrollers positioned to receive documents emerging from said channel anddeliver them to said copying station, and drive means for said documentfeed rollers, the improvement comprising a card supply hopper on saidmachine means driven by said drive means for extracting successive cardsfrom said hopper, including card feed rollers positioned to grip saidsuccessive cards and driven by said drive means to convey saidsuccessive cards toward said document feed rollers, and a plate forguiding said cards into engagement with said document feed rollers forsubsequent transportation through said copying station, said card feedrollers being driven at a higher linear speed than said document feedrollers, whereby said cards reach said copying station in overlappedrelationship for the production of a more compact copy thereof.

22. The invention of claim 21 further comprising means pivotallymounting said card supply hopper and guide plate on said machine forrotation thereof to provide access to said card extracting means.

23. The invention of claim 22 comprising further means pivoting saidguide plate to said card supply hopper for joint pivotal movementrelative to said machine and relative to each other.

24. in a photocopying machine including means for storing copy paper, aprinting station, clutched means for feeding said copy paper to saidprinting station, a solenoid for controlling the clutching of said paperfeed means, an energizing circuit for said solenoid, a copying station,a channel for inserting a document into said copying station, and meansincluding an electrical switch for sensing said document in said channeland completing the energizing circuit of said solenoid to feed saidpaper only during the passage of said document, the improvementcomprising manual feed control means arranged to close said documentsensing switch indefinitely whereby to feed an indeterminate length ofsaid copy paper, a record card supply hopper on said machine, and meansfor feeding a stream of record cards from said supply hopper to saidcopying station to create an elongated photocopy of successive cards onsaid length of copy paper.

25. in a machine as in claim 24 including electrically actuated copyingmeans and means including an electrical switch responsive to saiddocument sensing switch for turning on said copying means after saiddocument is sensed thereby, the additional improvement comprising aclutch for engaging said card feed means, and a solenoid for engagingsaid clutch, said clutch solenoid being connected for energization undercontrol of said copying means switch whereby to feed said cards onlywhen said copying means is turned on.

26. The invention of claim 24 further comprising means for latching saidmanual feed control means in position to lock said document sensingswitch in its closed condition, and means for thereafter unlatching saidmanual feed control means.

27. The invention of claim 25 further comprising a solenoid and meansconnecting said solenoid to release said latching means to terminatecopy paper feed.

means in position to lock said switch, and said solenoid has an armatureresponsive thereto and a linkage connecting said armature to dislodgesaid segment.

29. The invention of claim 27 further comprising means for sensing atleast one of the following materials; said copy paper supply or saidcards in said supply hopper; and for energizing said latch releasesolenoid in the absence of said sensed material.

1. In a photocopy machine having an illuminating station, a documententrance to said illuminating station, means for moving material throughsaid illuminating station, and a document exit from said illuminatingstation, the improvement comprising: a record card supply hopper on saidmachine, means for delivering record cards sequentially from said hopperto said illuminating station, a record card exit means from saidilluminating station, a docUment exit means from said illuminatingstation separate from said record card exit means, and means forselectively directing said material through said record card exit meansor said document exit means.
 2. In a photocopy machine as in claim 1,the additional improvement comprising: a gate member moveable between aposition in which to divert to said document exit means any materialissuing from said illuminating station, and a position in which todivert said material to said record card exit means.
 3. In aphotocopying machine having a station for copying material, means formoving said material through said copying station, means for storing anelongated strip of copy paper, printing means, means for feeding saidcopy paper strip longitudinally through said printing means, means forcorrelating the operation of said copy paper feeding means with thepassage of an original document through said machine, and meansincluding a knife for severing said copy paper strip to the length ofsaid original document; the improvement comprising: a record card supplyhopper on said machine; means for delivering cards sequentially fromsaid hopper to said station for copying; card mode selecting means;means responsive to said card mode selecting means for disabling saidcorrelating means to keep said copy paper feeding means operating whilea plurality of cards are copied whereby to distribute the copies of saidcards along the length of said copy paper strip; and means responsive tosaid card mode selecting means for disabling said severing means duringthe copying of said cards whereby to create a continuous strip of saidcopies.
 4. In a machine as in claim 3 including means for driving saidcopy paper feed means, and an exit through which said continuous copypaper strip emerges from said machine after printing, the additionalimprovement comprising: means adjacent said exit for reeling up saidcontinuous strip, said real-up means being driven by said copy paperfeed drive means.
 5. The invention of claim 3 further comprising: meansfor disabling said machine, and means for sensing at least one of thefollowing materials; said record cards in said hopper or said copy papersupply; said sensing means being conditioned by said card mode selectingmeans to actuate said machine-disabling means whereby to interrupt saidcard copying operation when said material is not sensed.
 6. Theinvention of claim 5 further comprising: means responsive to saidsensing means to actuate said severing means notwithstanding saiddisabling means, said sensing means being arranged to sense said recordcards in said hopper, whereby to sever said copy paper strip whencopying of the record cards in said hopper is completed.
 7. Theinvention of claim 5 wherein said machine-disabling means is effectiveto interrupt said record card delivery means, and said sensing means isarranged to sense said copy paper in said storage means, whereby to stopfeeding cards when said copy paper supply is exhausted.
 8. The inventionof claim 7 wherein said machine-disabling means is also effective toterminate the operation of said paper feeding means when said copy papersupply is exhausted.
 9. The invention of claim 7 wherein said sensingmeans comprises a first device for sensing said record cards in saidhopper and a second device for sensing said copy paper supply, saidmachine-disabling means being connected to both said first and secondsensing devices to interrupt said record card delivery means when eithersaid record cards are exhausted or said copy paper supply is exhausted.10. In a machine as in claim 9 wherein said severing means includeselectrically actuated means for operating said knife, and said machineincludes respective electrically actuated means for interrupting saidrecord card delivery means and for operating said copy paper feed means,the additional improvement comprising: respective circuits forenergizing said knife operator, a first switCh responsive to said firstsensing device, a second switch in parallel with said first switch andresponsive to said second sensing device, said switches being connectedto interrupt said copy paper feed operator circuit and energize saidknife operator circuit when either said record cards or said copy paperare exhausted, a circuit for energizing said record card deliveryinterrupter, and a third switch responsive to said second sensing deviceto energize said interrupter circuit whereby to interrupt the deliveryof said record cards when said copy paper is exhausted.
 11. In aphotocopy machine having a copying station, means for advancing documentmaterial through said copying station and continuously operating drivemeans connected to said advancing means for driving the latter, theimprovement comprising: a record card supply hopper on said machine,card feed means for removing said cards from said hopper andtransporting them toward said copying station, a shaft connecting saidcard feed means to said drive means for normally continuously drivingsaid card feed means, and clutch means interposed between said shaft andsaid drive means for engaging and disengaging said shaft with said drivemeans whereby to start and stop the feeding of said record cardsindependently of operation of said document material advancing means.12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said card feed means comprisesrollers rotatably driven by said shaft and cooperating to propel saidrecord cards toward said copying station, picker means reciprocating toremove successive record cards from said hopper and deliver them to saidrollers, and a crank mechanism for reciprocating said picker means, saidcrank mechanism including wheel means rotatably driven by said shaft.13. The invention of claim 11 wherein said clutch means comprises adriving hub on said shaft rotatable relative thereto and engaged withsaid drive train, a driving hub affixed to said shaft for rotationtherewith, a coil spring surrounding said driving and driven hubs, meansanchoring one end of said coil spring relative to said driven hub, saidcoil spring normally clutching said driving hub for rotation therewith,means moveable between a position for blocking the free end of said coilspring to prevent it from rotating with said driving hub whereby todisrupt said clutching relationship, and a position for freeing saidspring end whereby to restore said clutching relationship, and anactuator for moving said blocking means between said positions.
 14. Theinvention of claim 13 comprising first stop means fixed relative to saidshaft, second stop means movable toward and away from a position ofengagement with said first stop means at a fixed angular positionrelative to said shaft to stop rotation of said shaft at said angularposition, and means responsive to the movement of said blocking means toits declutching position to move said second stop means into engagementwith said first stop means upon declutching.
 15. The invention of claim14 wherein said declutching responsive means includes a spring biasingsaid second stop means into engagement with said first stop means duringdeclutching, said blocking means being operative to drive said secondstop means out of said engagement in opposition to said spring whenmoving to its clutching position, and to release said second stop meanswhen moved to its declutching position.
 16. The invention of claim 11wherein said machine further comprises means pivotally supporting saidhopper whereby said hopper may be rotated to provide access to said cardfeed means.
 17. The invention of claim 16 further comprising a copyingstation, means for feeding documents through said copying station, meanspositioned for guide said record cards from said card feeding means tosaid document feeding means for subsequent delivery to said copyingstation, and means pivotally supporting said guide means and pivotallyconnecting it to said hopper for movement therewith to provide aCcess tosaid card feed means.
 18. In a photocopying machine having a copyingstation, the improvement comprising: means for supplying a continuousseries of record cards to said copying station, an exit channel fromsaid copying station for said record cards, an output bin to collectrecord cards emerging from said exit channel, and a vertically floatingcard catcher mechanism in said bin comprising a card catcher tray,vertical rail means disposed eccentrically of said tray, paired wheelsrotatably mounted on said tray and arranged to clasp said rail meanstherebetween in response to the weight of said tray whereby to mountsaid tray for vertical wheeled movement on said rail means, and acounterbalancing spring mechanism biasing said tray upwardly andyielding in proportion to the increasing weight of record cards thereon.19. In a photocopying machine having means for retaining a supply ofcopy paper in continuous strip form, printing means, a copy paper exit,and motor driven means for conveying said copy paper from said retainingmeans through said printing means to said exit, the improvementcomprising: a takeup reel near said exit, and a drive mechanism operatedby said motor driven means for rotating said takeup reel to wind up saidcontinuous copy paper strip, said conveying means comprising a pluralityof rollers at least one of which is driven, means connecting said drivenroller to drive the remainder, said connecting means including beltslooped over said roller for conveying said copy paper strip to saidexit, said takeup reel being secured to a shaft for rotation thereby,means rotatably supporting said shaft and reel, said shaft having anenlarged rim drivingly secured thereto, said rim having a substantiallylarger diameter than said takeup reel and being in driving engagementwith one of said rollers, whereby said rim drives said reel and supportsit above the roller which engages said rim.
 20. The invention of claim19 wherein said shaft supporting means comprises a bracket having spacedarms extending therefrom to support opposite ends of said shaft, saidarms slanting so that said shaft rolls downwardly thereon to bring saidrim into gravity biased driving engagement with said roller, and meansfor supporting said bracket.
 21. In a photocopying machine having acopying station, a document feed channel terminating upstream of saidcopying station, document feed rollers positioned to receive documentsemerging from said channel and deliver them to said copying station, anddrive means for said document feed rollers, the improvement comprising acard supply hopper on said machine means driven by said drive means forextracting successive cards from said hopper, including card feedrollers positioned to grip said successive cards and driven by saiddrive means to convey said successive cards toward said document feedrollers, and a plate for guiding said cards into engagement with saiddocument feed rollers for subsequent transportation through said copyingstation, said card feed rollers being driven at a higher linear speedthan said document feed rollers, whereby said cards reach said copyingstation in overlapped relationship for the production of a more compactcopy thereof.
 22. The invention of claim 21 further comprising meanspivotally mounting said card supply hopper and guide plate on saidmachine for rotation thereof to provide access to said card extractingmeans.
 23. The invention of claim 22 comprising further means pivotingsaid guide plate to said card supply hopper for joint pivotal movementrelative to said machine and relative to each other.
 24. In aphotocopying machine including means for storing copy paper, a printingstation, clutched means for feeding said copy paper to said printingstation, a solenoid for controlling the clutching of said paper feedmeans, an energizing circuit for said solenoid, a copying station, achannel for inserting a document into said copying station, and meansincLuding an electrical switch for sensing said document in said channeland completing the energizing circuit of said solenoid to feed saidpaper only during the passage of said document, the improvementcomprising manual feed control means arranged to close said documentsensing switch indefinitely whereby to feed an indeterminate length ofsaid copy paper, a record card supply hopper on said machine, and meansfor feeding a stream of record cards from said supply hopper to saidcopying station to create an elongated photocopy of successive cards onsaid length of copy paper.
 25. In a machine as in claim 24 includingelectrically actuated copying means and means including an electricalswitch responsive to said document sensing switch for turning on saidcopying means after said document is sensed thereby, the additionalimprovement comprising a clutch for engaging said card feed means, and asolenoid for engaging said clutch, said clutch solenoid being connectedfor energization under control of said copying means switch whereby tofeed said cards only when said copying means is turned on.
 26. Theinvention of claim 24 further comprising means for latching said manualfeed control means in position to lock said document sensing switch inits closed condition, and means for thereafter unlatching said manualfeed control means.
 27. The invention of claim 25 further comprising asolenoid and means connecting said solenoid to release said latchingmeans to terminate copy paper feed.
 28. The invention of claim 27wherein said sensing switch has a feeler arm interposes in said channel,said manual feed control means comprises a lever for manual operation,an actuator, means on said actuator extending toward said channel forengagement with said feeler arm to close said switch, and means movablein response to said lever to move said actuator so that said meansengages said feeler arm, said latching means comprises a segmentmoveable with said moveable means and formed with detents, andspring-loaded means engaging said detents to latch said segment and saidmoveable means in position to lock said switch, and said solenoid has anarmature responsive thereto and a linkage connecting said armature todislodge said segment.
 29. The invention of claim 27 further comprisingmeans for sensing at least one of the following materials; said copypaper supply or said cards in said supply hopper; and for energizingsaid latch release solenoid in the absence of said sensed material.